Strength Training for Women

Aug 27th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags:

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I know this girl. She used to go the gym 5 days a week. Alternating cardio machines for 90 mins. She wasn’t overweight. But neither was she “toned” as she desired. She was skinny & fat.

Yes that exists: skinny & fat. That’s how you become when you don’t give your body the nutrition it needs for recovery. Your body burns muscles & holds fat.

I told her once to get into strength training & eat more healthy. But I got the classic response: “I don’t want to end up bulky & muscular like a man”.


You Won’t Get Bulky. Remember: your bodyweight depends on the amount of calories you eat & expend. Strength training will make you gain muscle & lose fat. But you’ll stay at the same bodyweight unless you start eating more.

Women have lower testosterone levels than men. Muscle mass & strength depend on your testosterone levels. The only way women can get as muscular as man is by using steroids or pro-hormones.


CrossfitBenefits for Women. I wrote about the reasons to starts strength training in the past. They’re the same for women:

  • Less Fat. More muscles, decreased body fat at the same bodyweight.
  • Balanced Physique. Many women are skinny in the upperbody & bulky in their legs. Strength training will balance your physique.
  • Increased Bone Density. Lifting weights prevents osteoporosis.
  • Blood Circulation. Helps combat cellulites on thighs & glutes.
  • More strength. Pregnancy, holding baby, householdery,… gets easier.
  • Fun. Women really like sports from my experience, especially when they have fun while getting results.
  • Physical Activity. Whether it is strength training or something else: you need physical activity to stay “sane”.


How Women Should Train. Same as men. Same exercises. Same sets & reps. Same programs. If your goal is toning up & losing fat, strength is your tool.

Focus on getting stronger on the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Overhead Press & Pull-up. Get on the beginner strength training program.


Women’s Results. The difference in testosterone levels will influence the results you’ll achieve as a woman. In general:

  • Increased muscle mass. But less than a man.
  • Decreased body fat. 16% for women is the same as 10% for men.
  • Increased strength. But again less than a man.

In terms of physique, look at the women at CrossFit. Example picture top right: Annie. They’re athletic, in shape & not bulky. Their secret is simple: training hard, consistently & eating healthy.


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22 Responses to “Strength Training for Women”

  1. on 27 Aug 2007 at 5:32 pm1Harsh

    Ur absolutely right…Training for men or women should not be any different the only thing that may change is weight which needs to be scaled as per individual.

    watching the video of girls performing crossfit WOD are so inspiring and there physique is awesome..

  2. on 27 Aug 2007 at 9:07 pm2Eartha

    I am like the girl you describe in this post. I spend a bulk of my time using cardio machines at the gym because I am so focused on the calories burned. I am just starting to really learn about strength training (thanks to your site) and have recently been incorporating it more throughout the week.

  3. on 27 Aug 2007 at 9:48 pm3LynneA

    Can I get an Amen? AAAAAAAMEN!

    (preaching to the choir with me, Mehdi!) My sig on a forum I’m on is a quote by Lou Schuler:
    You can’t tone, shape, or sculpt what you don’t have.
    -Lou Schuler

    You wanna be “toned”, you gotta have muscles TO tone.

  4. on 28 Aug 2007 at 12:45 am4brent

    natalie woolfolk, 63k

    aimee anaya, 69k

    charaklia kastritsi, 58k

    i would marry any of the above on the basis of physical development alone… they all c+j over 100k and their legs are awesome

    depresses me when girls curl 5lbs dumbbells :( :( :( :(

    there was a day when i saw a girl doing power cleans (!!!!!) and i wanted to give her a high five but we had never met and that would have been weird

  5. on 28 Aug 2007 at 4:42 pm5Harsh

    Thats good…..strength training would get you in a good shape in no time …a good way to start could be body weight exercise circuit, this is what I have recommended to my sister. Also as other says there is no need to bench until you can’t do pushups with perfect form….and once you start to gain strength weight training can be accommodated as it becomes really hard to progress in these exercise…

  6. on 28 Aug 2007 at 4:49 pm6Harsh

    AAAAAAAMEN !! :)
    There are many myths surrounding fitness world and toning is one of them…

  7. on 29 Aug 2007 at 1:34 am7RZ

    Good article, but you could have found a much better model.

  8. on 29 Aug 2007 at 3:55 am8brent

    how about Natalie Woolfolk and Aimee Anaya

    Woolfolk used to be a gymnast but is currently the best female lifter in the US @ 63k

    Anaya’s a pretty good 69k lifter

  9. on 31 Aug 2007 at 3:17 am9LynneA

    Myth is the nice way of saying what I think of it(LOL)

  10. on 31 Aug 2007 at 3:17 am10LynneA

    Why? She looks fit to me.

  11. on 31 Aug 2007 at 10:18 am11bentzurm

    I recognize her from the crossfit.com site. I think you can’t get any fitter than people who do full crossfit.

  12. on 31 Aug 2007 at 8:07 pm12LynneA

    Be nice, I have 5 lb dumbbells! Actually, I did have to go buy them to rehab my shoulder though, now as I think of it. So I’ll give ya a pass on that comment! ;>)

  13. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:15 pm13Mehdi

    Totally agree with the girls of crossfit being very inspiring Harsh. I’ve seen several videos of girls weighing 55kg & snatching 70kg overhead. I can’t snatch that at 70kg bodyweight…

    Continue the good work Eartha. Keep me updated how you’re progress go. I guarantee you: cardio is nothing compared to cardio combined with strength training. Good luck.

  14. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:16 pm14Mehdi

    Thanks LynneA. Like your quote. Here’s one of Mark Rippetoe: “If tone is the goal, strength is the tool”. Build a big rock, then sculpt it.

  15. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:21 pm15LynneA

    Niiiice, I like that too!

  16. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:22 pm16Mehdi

    I didn’t want to give a “model”. I wanted to give real world results. Not a fitness figure model that trimmed under 5% body fat for her next competition & whose picture might have been photoshopped.

    Look at the picture (remove the head if you don’t like it): arms are developped, legs are developped, … Most women would be more than happy if they would have that kind of physique.

  17. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:23 pm17Mehdi

    Inspiring achievments Brent. Great videos.

  18. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:24 pm18LynneA

    THANK you, Mehdi! A little dose of reality is always nice.

  19. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:24 pm19Mehdi

    Indeed Bentzurm. I recommend crossfit’s approach to anyone who’s looking for a gym to train in. They are doing a great job.

  20. on 31 Aug 2007 at 9:24 pm20Mehdi

    You’re welcome LynneA.

  21. on 16 Nov 2007 at 1:47 am21Gubernatrix

    Great article! Really refreshing to have someone tell it like it is! Wouldn’t it be amazing if women went to the weights room instead of the cardio room as a matter of course? It’d be a bit crowded in there though….

  22. on 16 Nov 2007 at 1:11 pm22Mehdi

    Would be great indeed Sally :-). Thanks for the encouragement.

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